London Landlord fined for renting flat that could only be entered on all fours

Tenants would need to be less than 2 feet 4 inches tall to walk to the Hendon flat’s front door

Many people crawl into bed at the end of a long day but tenants in a north London house were forced to crawl on all fours to access their rented room.

Barnet council took the landlord of a house in Sunningfields Road, Hendon, to court after discovering he was renting a room which could not be accessed standing up. The head height along the course of the staircase was between 0.7m (27.5 inches) and 1.2m (47 inches) high and the door to the room was also reduced in size.

Even a three-year-old child of average height would not be able to walk upright all the way up the stairs.

Barnet council first issued a prohibition order against landlord Yaakov Marom in February 2012 which banned him from letting the second floor room of the property. Environmental health officers were concerned the poor access could impede the tenants’ escape in the event of a fire.

But Marom failed to comply with the order and when council officers visited the house with police officers in September last year they found the room was still in use and being rented by a couple for £420 a month.

Earlier this month at Willesden magistrates court Marom pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the prohibition order. He was ordered to pay a £1,500 fine, £1,420 in costs and a victim surcharge of £120, a total of £3,040.

Councillor Tom Davey, chairman of the housing committee at Barnet council, said: “At the very least tenants have the right to expect that the accommodation they are renting is safe.

“Barnet council is keen to work with landlords and help them to provide safe accommodation. However, those who exploit tenants for financial gain will not be tolerated and the appropriate action will be taken.”

The studio is being advertised for £175 a week or £760 a month on the property website Zoopla.

Photos of the room show a single bed suspended from the ceiling by metal chains and precariously perched on two wardrobes. Within reaching distance of the bed is a “kitchenette” which consists of a microwave, two cooking rings, a small sink and two cupboards.

Marketing by Pioneer Estate Agency, in north Finchley, the studio has been viewed on Zoopla 346 times in the past 30 days. No one answered the phone at Pioneer when the Guardian called and it hasn’t responded to an online request for further details.